Rules of the Road

When my boys learned how to drive, I don’t mind saying I was nervous about it. I knew they’d do fine, but my wife, Jean and I talked through our expectations before we ever handed over a set of keys. From one parent to another, here are a few things that might make sense to you, too.

Teens usually think their driver’s license is all the permission they need to hit the road. But driving ought to be a privilege they earn instead of an absolute right. The opportunity can be tied to things like their grades or chores they perform around the house, but the most significant thing of all is their character. Driving should be off limits unless they demonstrate they can be trusted behind the wheel.

That said, most teens will inevitably test the rules. As their driving confidence goes up, the rules will seem less important. That’s why I encourage parents to enforce the consequences of their child’s behavior when they use poor judgment. Require them to pay their own traffic tickets, for example. Or if their behavior is grievously over the line, take the car away entirely for a period of time.

Teenagers learn that responsibility and character are as much a prerequisite for driving the car as a driver’s license when their parents require all three.